Land Of The Rising Spider

It’s a matter of PRIDE.

Anderson Silva may have finally found a home.

The former UFC middleweight champion has been snubbed by just about every stateside promoter in his attempt to prolong his combat sports career, but it looks like “The Spider” will be welcomed back to Japan with open arms.

The one downside for Silva is the fact that RIZIN Fighting Federation appears to be the only game in town, which hurts the Brazilian at the negotiating table.

“I have great memories with Anderson Silva during the PRIDE days and in my personal opinion, I think his career took off in Japan,” RIZIN FF Founder and President Nobuyuki Sakakibara told MyMMANews. “I have heard that Japan has a special part in his heart as well. I do feel that I would like to help him fulfill his wishes out of respect for what he has accomplished and what he has done for our sport. I haven’t talked to him yet but I would be interested to see if we can come up with something that makes sense for him to start his final chapter in Japan.”

Silva (34-11, 1 NC) made his Japan debut nearly 20 years ago for Shooto and spent two years fighting for Sakakibara, registering a 3-2 record under the PRIDE banner.

Unfortunately for the 45 year-old Brazilian, he’s a much different fighter than he was during his glory days and has just one victory dating back to 2012. In addition, “The Spider” has been stopped by strikes in his previous two losses.

Perhaps Silva’s return to Japan can lure this guy out of retirement?